A Hong Kong boy band fails to get girls to "come to the hotel" on a bike trip around Taiwan — member Kwok says, "Do I look like a pervert?"

Reported by reporter You [symbol] Ru / Taipei

A group of adorable Hong Kong boys, who formed their own band called "Air Purifier," came to Taiwan for a bike trip around the island on single-speed bicycles. They also set themselves a challenge: to get 30 girls to come to a hotel room in Kaohsiung to listen to their concert. Unfortunately, after singing on the street for hours, not a single girl was willing to grace the Hong Kong boys with her presence to attend their exclusive mini-concert. The boys couldn’t help but lament, "Is it that we look too creepy, or are Taiwanese girls just too cold?"

 
▲The Hong Kong band "Air Purifier" performs at a café in Taipei. From left are Egg, Pak Zek, and Gai. (Photo / Reporter You [symbol] Ru)


▲The trio were already somewhat well-known actors in Hong Kong, but formed a band to pursue their own "definitive answer." (Photo / Provided by Da Air Refresher)

"Hello everyone, this is our first concert in Taiwan with 'real people.'" On the evening of the 28th, in a small Taipei café, the three Hong Kong members — Gai, Egg, and Pak Zek — held a mini-concert after their bike trip around Taiwan. Standing in front of fewer than ten audience members, the trio picked up their guitars and sang their self-composed song satirizing the Hong Kong education system, titled "Definitive Answer": "The definitive answer is just like the food we eat, eventually it all turns into S-H-I-T, S-H-I-T, S-H-I-T." (Modal answer is just like the food we eat, eventually becomes S, H, I, T, shit shit shit)

Get it? The lyrics are what you'd call "very Hong Kong style," full of restless energy and the desire to challenge oneself. It's precisely this urge to find their own answers and vent their feelings that led them to embark on a "single-speed bike" journey across Taiwan. Not only did they ride single-speed bikes the whole way, they also rode up to Lishan to film a documentary, and most importantly, they took on the challenge of getting 30 girls to come to their hotel room to listen to a concert — all to fulfill their quest for self-discovery.


▲The trio sings in a hotel room in Hsinchu. The person standing is the documentary cameraman. (Photo / Provided by Da Air Refresher)

"We know, it’s the mission impossible of mission impossibles." Originally theater actors, Gai, Egg, and Pak Zek were already somewhat well-known performers in Hong Kong. To challenge themselves further and seek their own "definitive answer," they decided to break out of their usual environment, form a band, and sing. Their trip to Taiwan had been planned over a year ago. "If we actually succeed, then we’ll have achieved part of our challenge goal."

Guitarist Pak Zek said their goal was to bike around Taiwan on single-speed bikes and even make it up to Lishan — practically a "mission impossible." Getting girls to come to their room to listen to a concert? That was "impossible squared." Starting their trip in Taipei, the trio arrived in Kaohsiung on the fifth day of their journey and decided to rest there for two days. They booked a room in Taipei 101’s 85 Sky Tower and waited for girls willing to come to their concert.


▲Miss, would you like to hear us sing? (Photo / Provided by Da Air Refresher)


▲%Several girls were asked downstairs, and three boys stood waiting. Why didn’t anyone come? (Photo / Provided by Da Air Refresher)


"We asked a lot of girls on the street, 'Miss, hello, can I sing for you?'" The trio recalled their experience singing on the streets of Kaohsiung. "They all said yes, so we went back to the room and waited. We waited two nights, but not a single person came." Guitarist Gai, with his thick Cantonese accent, asked and answered himself, "Maybe, we just look that creepy to girls in Taiwan — we don’t know!"

Even though no girls came, the trio still decided to hold a concert in the hotel room. "Since no one’s coming, let’s sing for ‘Big Bear Bro’!" They pulled out the teddy bears and little dogs they’d brought along, lined them up on the bed, and began this "concert for stuffed animals."



▲No one’s coming? No problem, we’ll sing for ‘Big Bear Bro.’ (Photo / Provided by Da Air Refresher)

"We sang really loudly, even opened the door, hoping to wake up sleeping people or attract passersby to come in. But not even the security guard showed up, no one paid us any attention." Feeling lonely, the trio didn’t give up and kept singing in the room. Song after song, Gai, Egg, and Pak Zek even started acting out little skits, losing themselves in their own mini theater world. "Eventually someone did call us, but as soon as we answered, he said, ‘Sorry, can you turn your TV down a bit?’"


▲A photographer and writer followed along in a car to film the documentary and carry equipment. (Photo / Provided by Da Air Refresher)


▲The trio’s backs as they ride along the North-South Highway. (Photo / Provided by Da Air Refresher)


▲In Kenting, the trio films an MV. (Photo / Provided by Da Air Refresher)

Though the challenge failed, the trio didn’t give up. They pedaled on toward their next goal — from Kaohsiung to Kenting, Taitung, Hualien, and then up to Lishan. Pak Zek said, "We’re not trying to draw a circle around Taiwan just to climb Lishan. It’s something we deeply want to accomplish. Not being able to do it is a real regret." Recalling the climb, Gai acted out pedaling hard, counting down loudly, "Ten minutes, five minutes, three minutes, one minute." Though the trio ultimately couldn’t reach the summit due to the steep terrain and time limits, they were so moved that they shed tears during the attempt. "Because we gave it our all, we did our best."

"Actually, what moved us the most were the people of Taiwan. So many people cheered us on along the way, and lots of bike shop owners spent their time and energy fixing our bikes and explaining how tough it is to bike up the mountains." Speaking about the encouragement and support they received in Taiwan, the three “Hong Kong boys” who traveled here from afar were deeply touched. They said Taiwan is different from other places — it has people, beautiful scenery, and more of their own "definitive answers." It’s truly beautiful.

 
▲The challenge ended in failure, and the trio hugged and cried. (Photo / Provided by Da Air Refresher)


▲Taiwan, sorry guys!! We know leaving clothes here wasn’t right, but we really wanted to leave something behind. Please, anyone who sees this in the future — don’t be afraid. (Photo / Provided by Da Air Refresher)


▲We gave up, but we never compromised. (Photo / Provided by Da Air Refresher)